Pemenang Giveaway Draf 1

Berikut pengumuman pemenang Draf 1:

Goodreads Giveaway

Pemenang dipilih acak oleh Goodreads: Amaya Kim dari Kendari

Giveaway Tweet

Yazied Ahmad dari Bekasi

Giveaway Resensi

Shinta Siwabessy dari Gorontalo

Hadiah akan dikirim besok ya :) terima kasih untuk semua partisipasi teman-teman, dan see you in next giveaways!

Winna Efendi

Last day for Draf 1 Giveaways

Hari ini hari terakhir untuk ikutan giveaway, ditutup 30 September jam 23.59 teng dan pengumuman untuk 3 orang pemenang akan diberitakan di Twitter dan FB besok.

Ada 3 giveaways yang dibuka, masing-masing akan dipilih 1 pemenang.

Goodreads giveaway

Syaratnya hanya menjadi member Goodreads dan isi data-data di link ini. Pemenang akan dipilih secara acak.

Tweet Why

Tweet mengapa kamu ingin membaca Draf 1. Gunakan hashtag #draf1 dan mention @WinnaEfendi, juga gunakan avatar kover Draf 1 saat tweet.

Resensi novel

Buat sebuah resensi atau review dari salah satu novel-novelku dan tweet link-nya beserta hashtag #draf1 dan mention @WinnaEfendi.

Mohon maaf bagi yang tidak memenuhi syarat akan didiskualifikasi :)

Good luck!

-Winna Efendi-

(book) Guardian of the Gate

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.

Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.

My review

As soon as the book arrives via Bookdepository (and only for USD 4! what a bargain!), I was in the mood to read some gothic fiction and immediately picked it up. I was blown away.

The sequel to Prophecy of the Sisters continues Lia Milthorpe's journey with her trusted companions Sonia and Luisa after she moves from her manor to London, to locate the missing pages of the Prophecy and to stop Samael from entering the Gate and start havoc.

Not only this sequel has more mysteries, more romance, more conflicts, more twists and more creepy moments than its predecessor, I was drawn in by the way the author wrote her intricate details. Her prose is lovely with a sort of Edwardian, historical fiction ring to it. They sound classic and very posh, but not overdone.

I was also impressed with Lia. Throughout her journey, even though she did not grow as powerful as some might hope, she's a character that grows with each hardship. We wanted to be with her in her journey, as opposed to be there for her as she continued her search for the missing page(s) to end the prophecy. Some readers criticized Lia for whining and being hopeless in the first book, but I think it's actually consistent with her character and the emotions she might be feeling under those circumstances. The author has also made her stronger in this book, both physically and mentally. Following the last chapter of the second book, one could only hope that she would be even stronger in the next book, and I could not wait to see how that turned up.

One thing that felt rather rushed was her chemistry and relationship with Dimitri. I never did care much for James, he seemed too stuck up for her own good, but her attraction to Dimitri was instant, as well as his devotion for her. The author used some cliched phrases like 'I was drawn to you from the beginning' and 'I felt like I have known him forever' and that he felt like a home and someone with shared understanding, but the way it went on that quickly confused me a little bit.

The book also assumed a slow pacing, much like the first book. However, I appreciated the little details over each chapter. Each scene carried into the next and built a foundation for what was to come. I enjoyed the little details, and felt that they were appropriately described for us to tune in without feeling lectured or bored. That was enough for me.

I hope Circle of Fire arrives soon. I will then pore over the pages like a madman.

(book) Prophecy of the Sisters

Synopsis taken from Goodreads.com

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. 

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

My review:

Finally finished the book in two sittings. I love the mystery that surrounds it all, and the way the story is constructed. How epic, two twin sisters from every generation, one good and one evil, one the Guardian, another the Gate.

It's not much about romance, though I'm sure it will come at some point in the sequel. it's also not just about sisterhood or familial bond, it's also about adventures and mystery based on the Bible, about God and His angel seeking to bring the seven plagues into earth upon his release.

The way it's written and the gothic, victorian New York setting in the 18th century adds the aura of mystery to the story. The characters are fascinating, although some feel Lia, the main character, is too weak and worrisome. I feel differently. I think she's strong but at times fragile, as expected for a girl of sixteen who barely knows of the prophecy and has just become an orphan.

I bought the rest of the books in the trilogy as soon as I finished this one. Can't wait.

(book) The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The movie's all everyone talks about lately, and for some reasons I want to read the book before watching the movie. Last night I was looking for something to read and I couldn't start with Graceling for some unknown reasons, and I just picked this up and couldn't stop.

What a ride. Charlie is a fascinating, sensitive character that just makes readers feel empathy for him. He's intensely likable, and I often need to remind myself that he's a teenager, because often he just sounds like an extremely intelligent boy. I love all the quirky characters, I love the title, I love my book's cover (it has the movie poster on it with a lime wallpaper, which looks really cool and doesn't shy away much from the original book cover). I love Charlie's family, his new friends, his newfound wisdom, his mentor Bill. I love that he's passive but the characters just speak their minds, letting him know what he does wrong. I like the angst of growing up, and the way he handles it all. I especially love the sad twist in the ending, making everything make so much more sense than if it's done without.

I also appreciate the way it's written, one letter form after another. The anonymity actually makes it smoother to follow, we're not getting any last names or anything specific but it's fine. I also love Charlie's narrative voice. The prose is clear and simple, without any big words that might get out of context on a story such as this.

It's also a book of wisdom and great soundtrack. I might look for Asleep by the Smiths because Charlie likes it so much. I like the fact that a book with a soundtrack makes us actually feel like there is one instead of being annoyed because we cannot hear it. I heard that the movie will adapt some songs from the book into it too, which is wonderful. 

I seriously cannot wait for the movie. It looks like it's gonna be great.

(K-drama) Personal Taste

I don't often marathon K-dramas, as I mostly read recaps or watch one or two episodes and forget about them. The last drama I watched was White Christmas, and only because it was so short. I followed a couple of episodes of Vampire Prosecutor and Gaksital, which I loved, and Moon that Embraces the Sun. The rest is series I'm crazy about, such as Sherlock and Castle, and nothing else but a string of movies.

On some occasions though, I do follow a drama and watch it from start to finish, without knowing where it's going and not reading spoilers for the ending. Personal Taste is that drama for me this year. I'm a big fan of both leads - namely Son Ye Jin (whose movies and dramas I follow like a cult, and have a big girl-crush on for years), and Lee Min Ho (who caught my attention since Boys Before Flowers, and I do like his other dramas like City Hunter and Faith). Both of them are so adorable here. That's why I steer clear of the spoilers and one day on a whim just decided to watch the whole thing, taking an adventure.

I love the series. Despite its flaws, I feel happy to watch their journey and laugh and cry along with them. I don't like most of the angst because it's the fun and cute that make me really root for the main couple, but the angst is so wonderfully acted that they bring me close to tears. I like the performances, the writing and the directing. Everything looks so colorful, the posters are well made, the soundtrack is fun to listen to, and the jokes are funny. I especially like the dialogue, because often drama dialogue is made to be corny and romantic, but this one's just oozing hilarity and enhance the chemistry of the leads. Oh, and the fashion. Jin Ho always looks great, and Kae In's transformation is breathless but smooth.

Suffice to say, this is not a perfect drama. It's full of fluff, backstabbing, friendship, broken hearts, lies and relationships. But I love it for it. The best thing about Personal Taste is seeing how broken the characters are and go along with them on a journey, and be happy to see where it takes them and how they end up after. Most of all, it's a story about life and faith that everything is going to be alright.

I'm gonna miss the whole 16 episodes now that it's over.

Photo courtesy of pelangidrama.net, squidoo.com

Refrain the movie: it's official!

Hai teman-teman semua!

Good news, Refrain akan dijadikan film layar lebar! Production House yang akan mewujudkan Refrain menjadi versi film adalah Maxima Pictures, PH di balik film-film seperti Pocong Juga Pocong dan Pupus. Estimasi rilis tentatif adalah 14 Februari 2013 :) Aku akan memposting kabar lebih lanjut mengenai progress filmnya ya, sekarang masih dalam proses :D mudah-mudahan, di hari Valentine tahun depan, kita berbondong-bondong nonton Refrain di bioskop (Amin!). Terima kasih banyak untuk teman-teman yang mendukung Refrain dan menjadikan impian ini menjadi nyata.

Maxima juga membuka open audition untuk casting para pemerannya :D untuk info lebih lanjut bisa contact Twitter @MaximaPictures :D

Fingers crossed for a succesful and wonderful Refrain movie adaptation :)

Much love,

Winna Efendi

Draf 1 Giveaway on Goodreads: enter here

I've made a free giveaway for Draf 1 at www.goodreads.com
The winner will be picked at random and announced on 1 October 2012.

Click here to enter :)
Good luck!

Gisele Alain

I'm loading the sixth chapter while writing this review.

Gisele Alain caught my eye when I first browsed the comic book sections at the bookstore. The cover reminds me immediately of Emma, much so the synopsis. It's really interesting, a young girl and the owner of a Victorian era apartment, opening a jack of all trades business. At first I wasn't so sure about the drawing, after all a lush cover does not always guarantee the illustrations nor the story. But this one is definitely a rare gem.

I much prefer a quiet story with interesting characters and exploration rather than a romantic and conflict-filled story with high dramatic tensions and lots of tears. This one belongs in the first category, right with some of my favorite mangas such as Bokura Ga Ita, Kimi Ni Todoke, and Emma. In fact, Gisele Alain reminds me so much of Emma in terms of drawing style (filled with beautiful intricate details) and fascinating characters. The plot is episodic and not that fast paced, filled with lots of interesting setting details and character quirks that work wonders for the characters involved... but might not necessarily be everyone's cup of tea. Like Emma, it's subtle but has many wonderful moments that make the story emotional and alive, but not in a dramatic sort of way. I love it.

Gisele is also not a stereotypical character. She's naturally curious, quirky and decisive. She's also quick-witted and a kind person at heart, so it's interesting to tag along in her journeys and watch her grow around the new people she meets along the way. Definitely a keeper and will buy more volumes as soon as they come out.